Chandigarh: An Indian Sikh woman who went missing during a pilgrimage to Pakistan has allegedly converted to Islam and married a local man, according to documents that surfaced days after she failed to return with her group.
Sarabjit Kaur, 52, a resident of Kapurthala, Punjab, travelled to Pakistan on November 4 as part of a jatha of 1,992 Sikh pilgrims who visited the neighbouring country to mark the 555th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. While the group returned to India on November 13 through the Wagah-Attari border, Kaur did not accompany them.
A purported nikahnama written in Urdu has now emerged, claiming that Kaur embraced Islam, adopted the name Noor, and married Nasir Hussain, a resident of Sheikhupura, located approximately 56 kilometres from Lahore. The authenticity of the document has not yet been independently verified.
Kaur, who was previously divorced, has two sons from her marriage to Karnail Singh, who has lived in England for nearly three decades. Her passport was issued in Punjab’s Muktsar district.
Immigration authorities in India raised an alert when Kaur’s name did not appear in Pakistan’s exit records or India’s entry list on the day the pilgrims returned. The matter was immediately reported to Punjab Police, and a preliminary report has been shared with central agencies. According to sources quoted by IANS, the Indian High Commission in Pakistan is in communication with Pakistani authorities regarding her disappearance.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) annually sends Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan to pay respects at historic gurdwaras, especially Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. This year’s pilgrimage was initially delayed due to security concerns but was permitted by the Indian government two weeks later.
As investigations continue, both Indian and Pakistani authorities are working to determine the circumstances of Kaur’s disappearance and the validity of the documents indicating her conversion and marriage.